A group of conservative opposition lawmakers on Thursday proposed a parliamentary resolution calling for South Korea's nuclear armament, saying it must not condone North Korea's nuclear "monopoly."

The 26 lawmakers of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party stressed that in light of self-defense, Seoul has to seek its own nuclear arms should Pyongyang conduct another nuclear test.

Their call is in line with the conservative party's professed pursuit of a "balance of nuclear power" with the North.
 

"Now is the time for us to discard the impotent sanctions we have repeatedly imposed over the last two decades and seek a paradigm shift (in our security policy) to effectively defend our Republic of Korea's territory and citizens," Rep. Won Yoo-chul told reporters.

"Should the North press ahead with a sixth nuclear test, it would have to inform the international community of our emergency situation and declare that it would seek nuclear armament to safeguard peace on the Korean Peninsula and in light of self-defense," he added.

Pyongyang's fast-paced development of an intercontinental ballistic missile has further escalated calls for Seoul to go nuclear.

Experts said that if fully developed, a nuclear-tipped ICBM in North Korea capable of striking the continental United States would significantly weaken the credibility of Washington's security commitment to Seoul, its Asian ally. (Yonhap)